Olivia went downstairs, where Caleb was waiting because it was already seven o'clock. She knows he hates her more than ever now that she agreed to go to this party with him, but only if he knows it's not true.
“Are you going to the party wearing this?” Caleb cocked his brow.
Olivia examined her clothing and found nothing wrong with it. She was dressed in black jeans and a hoodie. She knows it’s not appropriate attire for a party, but she’s not going to one anyway, so it doesn’t matter.
“Uh, yeah,” She said quietly.
“Okay. Whatever! I just wanted to let you know that I will not be your babysitter for the entire night.” He growled.
This made her flinch, but she still nodded politely. They drove for fifteen minutes in silence until she told him to pull over.
“What?” He asked, perplexed.
“I told you to stop the car,” Olivia said again.
Caleb stopped the car, and she got out of it.
“I know you don’t like me, and I don’t even expect you to, and I would definitely not ruin your night with my presence. So, you are free to have the time of your life.” She said from the window before leaving.
He was taken aback at first but quickly covered himself up. This is the most he has heard her say so far.
“Whatever. When do I need to pick you up?” He asked, clearly uninterested.
Olivia let out a sigh.
“You don’t have to. I will reach your house no later than twelve.”
Caleb drove away without saying anything. ‘Well, the conversion went well.’ Olivia pondered.
Olivia took out her earplugs and turned on her phone’s music. It takes roughly forty-five minutes to walk from here to her final destination, and it is now 7:20 p.m. So she starts walking and, true to her word, she arrives exactly in due time she had stipulated.
She drew a deep breath and pressed the doorbell. The door swung open.
“Oh my god, Oli... wonderful to see you,” Madison said as she engulfed her in a hug.
Madison is one of those people to whom she is indebted.
“I am sorry for showing up unannounced.” She apologized sincerely.
“Nonsense, we love you. You are always welcome to visit us.” Madison assured her.
Olivia entered the house. She sat down with her on the couch, and Aaron arrived a few minutes later. He is Madison’s husband, and they make an adorable couple. They couldn’t have their own children, so they adopted Cameron. He is a delightful child, and she loves him. Cameron is now four years old, and they adopted him when he was only two years old.
She sat with both of them and informed them of her current situation. They are the only people who are aware of her previous life. Not all of history, but snippets of it. Olivia also spent some time playing with Cameron. He has a special place in her heart. He is the one who gives her the will to live. And she has no idea where she would have given Cameron if it hadn’t been for Madison and Aaron. Olivia’s life in her previous home was abysmal, so she had no choice but to drive here and give her son Cameron to these couples. But she is glad she did because he deserved all the love and affection she knows she couldn't give him.
She didn't even realize it was eleven o'clock at night when she decided to leave. Both of them insisted on staying, but she was adamant about going, so she did. Olivia was running late, so she took the shortest route possible. The area was deserted, but she didn't have much choice but to keep walking.
Some random stranger whistled, “Hey, baby.”
She, on the other hand, ignored him and sped up her pace.
Someone took her arm. “Hey, I am talking to you,” he said menacingly.
Olivia continued to ignore him and tried to free herself from his grasp. But his grip was too tight, so before he could make a move on her, she slapped him across the face and tried to flee. But he was too fast for her liking. He grabbed Olivia, beat the crap out of her, and dumped her in an alleyway corner.
He was about to hit her again, but she lay motionless in the corner. Olivia learned a long time ago from her experience that the abuser will not stop hitting until the target is tortured to death. So she pretended to be unconscious and waited for him to leave. She tried to get up as soon as he left, but she fell. So she tried a few more times before dragging herself to her new home. It took her another hour and a half to get to her house.
Olivia attempted to open the door, but it was shut. She looked at the clock and saw that it was almost one o’clock. Eliana, Caleb’s mother, informed her that whoever enters the house last locks the door for safety reasons, and it was after midnight. She assumed Caleb had locked it because she had told him she would be there by twelve o’clock, but it was one o’clock in the morning. Eliana told her she would give her the keys later because they didn’t have any spares.
As a result, she proceeded to the backyard. There was a bench nearby, and she sat down on it. It was a little chilly, but it was tolerable. Olivia hugged herself to sleep. She had learned to bury her emotions a long time ago. She didn’t want to cry this time. She was used to it all. Hitting, sleeping on the bench in the cold. But when she returned here, she thought it was all over.
But guess what? She was mistaken. ‘No matter where I go, my life will be the same.’ Thinking about this, she drifted off to sleep.
Caleb was concerned. He didn’t want to be, but he was. He couldn’t even enjoy the party. Mason and Sia, his best friends, kept asking him why he was distracted. But he kept avoiding the subject.
Where the hell did Olivia go?
Why didn’t she come to the party?
Is she alright?
But somewhere along the line, there was only one answer coming to his mind. She might have gone to get high or something.
He wasn’t having fun at the party, so he left early and got home by twelve-thirty. However, Olivia did say she’d be home by midnight. So he locked the doors from the inside and went to bed. He was tempted to check on her, but he refrained himself from doing so.
First, he was hesitant to leave her alone on the street and felt guilty about it when she told him she didn’t want to ruin his night. He didn’t want her to go on her own without him. He didn’t want to care about her, but he did, and he couldn’t make himself like her. But he can’t hate her at the same time. Caleb cannot show her that he does not hate her. He cannot make himself stand in a similar situation where he has been hurt before.
He has to hate her because she is a replica of his brother.
He went to bed after a few more minutes. Caleb was bothered by a nagging feeling, but he chose to ignore it and drifted off to sleep.
“Livy, Livy.” Olivia heard someone call her name and shaking her a little. “Livy honey, get up.” A female voice said. Olivia opened her eyes slowly and saw two figures towering over her. It was a little dizzy at first, but after a few seconds, the picture became clearer. She slowly rose from the bench that had served as her bed the night before and noticed Eliana and William kneeling in front of her. “Good Gracious! You finally woke up, Olivia.” Eliana exclaimed. “Why were you sleeping here, Livy?” William inquired, a worried expression on his face. Because your son assumed I was already in bed and locked the door without even checking on me. Not that it was my fault, but I was severely beaten up by a stranger who could have been a rapist yesterday. “I woke up early, so I came here to take a breath of fresh air. But I guess I drifted off to sleep.” She said quietly. She shrugged in order to appear casual and convincing. “All right!” William was still suspicious, but he accepted
Olivia was delighted today. Not because she was beaten up, but because she met Cameron the day before. His innocent expression always makes her smile. Of course, she cannot support him, but she can be a better and stronger person for him. He is the only person she has left who is of her own blood. She went downstairs and sat with the Knights' family with great enthusiasm. “You look happy now, and you have done a good job hiding your bruise,” Eliana said. “Yes, I suppose you are correct. I feel better now, and I don't want people to know how clumsy I am.” She told her this while nervously laughing. “Are you going somewhere?” William inquired. “Uh, yeah, I am just going for a walk or something. To get some fresh air.” Olivia tried to reason. She didn't want to tell them the truth. “Well, that will be good for you,” William said, smiling. “I hope so.” She quickly ate some toast and drank some orange juice before leaving. She does not want them to question her about her eating habit
Olivia quietly packed all of her belongings. It had only been fifteen minutes since Caleb expressed his views about her. She gathered all of her thoughts and packed her bags. Since she had only two bags, it didn't take her long. It was one in the morning, and it was the perfect time for her to leave this house. She will be eternally grateful to the Knights for allowing her to stay in this house for so long. She greatly admires them for it. Olivia walked downstairs silently with her two bags, making no noises. Finally, she closed the door shut and exited their home for good. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined herself returning to this house. Not anytime soon, but it is the only place she can truly call her own. It was only a ten-minute walk from Knight's house. Olivia had kept the key with her all along. She entered her house after unlocking the door. Yes, indeed! After three long years, she finally entered her home. Tears welled up in her eyes almost immediately. Every mo
“What exactly did you do?” Caleb's mother inquired. She was enraged that her son had done something to cause the poor girl to flee. “I um... I,” Caleb sighed after taking a deep breath. He couldn't bring himself to respond to the question. Olivia has been missing because of him for God knows how long. He didn't have any choice but to tell them the truth. So he told them everything. “Caleb, for the love of God, stop assuming things. I am highly disappointed with you. I never imagined a day when you, of all people, would let me down.” With that, his mother stormed out of the room. But his father sat beside him. “Caleb, not everyone on this planet is like your brother. Yes, indeed! He did unacceptable things. But in the end, he is not a bad person. I'd just say he chose the wrong path. And somewhere along the way, our upbringing was flawed.” With that, his dad, too, left. Caleb went downstairs after a few moments to find his mother pacing in the living room and his father on the phon
Everything was blurry when Olivia opened her eyes. Her head was a little dizzy, and she was suffering from a severe headache. However, when her vision cleared after about five minutes, she saw that she was surrounded by Eliana, William, and, surprisingly, Caleb. “How are you doing, my dear?” Eliana asked her. “Fine, I guess.” She shrugged as if it was nothing. She had previously fainted but had no one to care for her. So she had always woken up alone, having to take care of herself and tend to herself. After William checked her, Eliana went downstairs to cook something for her. “How did I get here?” She wondered to herself. Caleb’s voice startled her. “We got you here. You were unconscious back at that old house.” Oh my goodness!! Eliana and William would have undoubtedly discovered her there. How could she have been so oblivious? So much for her escape plan. “I should have looked for a better place.” She thought to herself. “And get me in more trouble?” Caleb listened, even t
Olivia was looking in the mirror when she noticed a girl with green eyes staring back at her. She was fair-skinned. Things have changed dramatically in the last four years. Livy used to be a happy-go-lucky girl before the whole thing went downhill. Her eyes used to be bright green and twinkled, and her skin used to glow but no longer does. Those happy times in her life had passed her by. She sighed deeply. She misses her old life and wishes she could relive all of the happiness and good times. She wishes to reclaim her happy family. However, not all dreams come true. “May I come in, Honey?” Eliana spoke as she stood at the door to her room. “Of course,” Olivia says. She smiled at her with a tight grin. “How do you feel right now?” “All right, thank you.” “Good. I was thinking, do you want to go shopping before your school starts tomorrow?” “No, thank you, Eliana. I have all the clothes I require. I bought it with my mom about a month ago.” She lowered her gaze. Despit
Olivia got up early to get ready for school. She was surprisingly calm about returning to school here. She wore skinny black jeans and a red full-sleeve check-shirt today. She donned her hair in a ponytail with two strands of hair dangling from it and a bang that covered a portion of her eyes. She applied black eyeliner and a baby pink lip gloss. She paired her outfit with white sneakers. She took her bag and went downstairs once she was satisfied with her appearance. Eliana and William complimented her as she entered the kitchen, and Caleb was enthralled. She can't blame him because she didn't make a good first impression and knew she wasn't a bad-looking person. Caleb was taken aback when he first saw Olivia. He had no idea she'd look this good. Yes, he thought she was cute, but she looked nothing like she did when she came into his life. Caleb had noticed Olivia always wore baggy clothes for the past week. But, this was the first time he saw her dressed normally. Caleb and Olivi
The first two lectures went in a blur for Olivia. Sure, there was lots of whispering during the class, making her squirm as no one expected her to be back. But, since morning, Sia and Mason have been with her. Even Caleb had to be with her because of his best friends, as Sia and Mason were Olivia's long-lost pals as well. The third lecture was about to begin, and Olivia was very excited about it. She was sitting next to Caleb, with Sia and Mason in front of her. “Prof. Drake is one of the best teachers here. And he is a real eye-catcher. You are going to love him.” Sia squealed as she told her. “Trust me, Livy. He is nothing special.” Mason said, rolling his eyes. “Shut up, Mason. Livy, you are going to love him, believe me.” Sia glared at Mason. “If you say so,” Olivia said, a mischievous glint in her eyes that Caleb didn't miss. He'd never seen Olivia like this before. Soon their banter was interrupted by the entrance of Prof. Drake, who would be their Literature teacher. He wa